What is Expressiveness in a Computer Language

[Rob Thorpe]

Matthias Blume wrote:
> "Rob Thorpe" <robert.thorpe at antenova.com> writes:
>
> > I think we're discussing this at cross-purposes.  In a language like C
> > or another statically typed language there is no information passed
> > with values indicating their type.
>
> You seem to be confusing "does not have a type" with "no type
> information is passed at runtime".
>
> > Have a look in a C compiler if you don't believe me.
>
> Believe me, I have.

In a C compiler the compiler has no idea what the values are in the
program.
It knows only their type in that it knows the type of the variable they
are contained within.
Would you agree with that?

> > No it doesn't. Casting reinterprets a value of one type as a value of
> > another type.
> > There is a difference.  If I cast an unsigned integer 2000000000 to a
> > signed integer in C on the machine I'm using then the result I will get
> > will not make any sense.
>
> Which result are you getting?  What does it mean to "make sense"?

Well the right one actually, bad example.

But, if I cast an unsigned int 2500000000 to signed I get -1794967296.